


in your heart shall burn

by swallows (toska)



Category: Hatoful Kareshi | Hatoful Boyfriend
Genre: BBL spoilers, F/M, Multiple Pov, One-Sided Love, Shuu's End, hints of ryouta/kawara it could be a heavy friendship or a light romance or both, i MEANT HINTS OF SAKUYA/RYOUTA, i got invested in their relationship, whatever floats your both
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-06
Updated: 2015-05-06
Packaged: 2018-03-29 09:19:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3890959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toska/pseuds/swallows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>— but despite the burns, you will carry on. BBL/Shuu's end mashup. Because Shuu's end was really only the beginning, and there is always more to be told.</p>
            </blockquote>





	in your heart shall burn

**Author's Note:**

> Last night I posted "vertigo in her eyes" as a chaptered story, and today I ended up finishing it. So I decided to repost it as the one-shot it was meant to be (you don't understand how much it was bothering me). Looking at my google docs and it turns out, I started to write this back in September! So this has been a long long time coming. 
> 
> This fic is dedicated to Karen and Novas. I adore you both. Thanks for being in bird hell with me. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: A good chunk of lines, especially from the 2nd part come from in-game, just because I was paranoid about accuracy. Also the title is a Dragon Age quest, from Inquisition specifically. 
> 
> Once again, this is Shuu's end/BBL Mashup. Because Shuu's ending should trigger the events of BBL if you think about it??? And I just want to explore that.

**vertigo in her eyes**  
  
— close your eyes. count to three. you’ll see that this is nothing, but a clever trick. a cosmic joke. an act of fate.  
  


 

**part one: the pledge**

  
  
  
i.  
  
  
  
The girl is in love with him, _Shuu thinks, staring at her. She’s in love with him, and her eyes are dazed, her head snug up against his wing._  
  
 _Her body is limp on the floor._  
  
 _She is still in love with him._  
  
  
  
ii.  
  
  
  
Ryouta paces. He is worried, Hiyoko hasn’t arrived at school yet. Kazuaki-sensei tells him to calm down, and Sakuya isn’t worried and San is sure that she just just got distracted with something as great as pudding.  
  
But still— he couldn’t stop the sinking feeling that he felt in his stomach. He’s always had a weak constitution, but he’s usually a lot better in the morning. He’s worse for wear today, everyone has noticed and has chalked down to a case of nerves. “Who knows, she might be feeling as ill as you are?”  
  
“That’s even worse!” He exclaims.  
  
“Maybe you should get some rest,” Kazuaki says, looking as if he was about to doze off himself. Ryouta wants to snap at everyone, he doesn’t want to take some rest, he wants to go off and find her, because nothing feels right, nothing feels good because she’s not here, she’s not picking her calls and everyone is just sitting around like it’s just another day. It’s not, he wants to say. He wants to snap, and snarl and look affronted as Sakuya or be as recklessly loud as San. But instead, he agrees.  
  
“Yeah, maybe I should.”  
  
The words come out as heavy and sullen as he’s feeling.  
  
  
  
iii.  
  
  
  
Le Bel’s have always had senses more acute than just the average pigeon. This is not just something that Sakuya thinks, it’s something that he knows. He’s known it since he was born; he sees it everyday when he looks at himself and his mongrel brother, after all. Sakuya shifts, arms crossed, staring out in thought.  
  
There’s something wrong.  
  
He hasn’t seen his brother since Christmas Eve.  
  
It’s been months since then, no sight or word of him. No one has batted an eyelash, no one had noticed enough.  
  
He wonders if it’s an assassination made by one of the other members of the family to hurt him. He wouldn’t be surprised if it was. But he wonders why they would think that he would mourn him. It doesn’t bother him, he tells himself, he told himself many months ago, at the sound of their mother’s broken whisper of “He’s gone.” It doesn’t bother him that his father laughed and hosted a party regarding this, that his mother attended and drank fine wine and laughed and danced. It doesn’t bother him, because he knows that despite all that—   
  
He’s a Le Bel, first and foremost.  
  
  
  
iv.  
  
  
  
It’s hard cutting up a body, when you only have one good wing _, Shuu thinks.  He’s been at this for most of the night— swallowing pain killers to get rid of the soreness, and wiping off messes. He had to cut the body (not body part by body part, — meticulously basking in every single rise and fall, there wasn’t enough time to study all of her, he’s afraid— but small enough that it would be easier to carry), otherwise there would be raised suspicion, regarding him and his bad wing. The blade cut clean through the flesh, till it reached the bone, where he started going in methodological back and forth motions so that the blade will cut smoothly._  
  
 _He was crunched for time._  
  
 _Soon, would be the start of a revolution, and then shall come rebirth._  
  
 _And it’s all thanks to her._  
  
 _He looks up at the shelf, where her head rests inside a jar. She stares at him, eyes unblinking and his mouth curves into a pleasant smile._  
  
  
  
v.  
  
  
  
There was this distinct smell at the Doctor’s office. Ryouta’s used to it, but it’s different today. Stronger. His wing is on the doorknob, and he clicks the door open and screams, but no one hears because that scream is swallowed by the emergency siren that begins to ring throughout the school.  
  
But Ryouta doesn’t care about any of it, because she’s dead.  
  
  
  
vi.  
  
  
  
The emergency sirens were blazing, and all the classes went down towards the gym. It was suddenly dark, all the windows covered by some dome shaped thing outside, Sakuya manages to observe. Once they were all inside the gym, the hushed frantic murmurings of fellow students was pulled to a halt by a video announcement by their Headmaster. “There has been a natural disaster, and since this school was designed as an evacuation site— it’s best if you all remain calm and stay inside the gym.”  
  
Natural disaster? Sakuya cocks his head. That’s preposterous. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, just seconds before the windows were all shut off.  
  
“We’ve had pleasant weather all throughout today, Headmaster this doesn’t make any sense!”  
  
“ _Coo_!” (Okosan felt no earthquake!)  
  
“I repeat there has been a natural disaster— this school was designed as — evacuation— I repeat there— disaster” The video starts to crackle, before it stops and the screen turned off.  
  
“Headmaster!” Sakuya cried, before glancing at the gym. Everyone seems to be in panic, and as he glances through the faces, he realizes that Ryouta wasn’t there.  
  
San must have just noticed too.  
  
“I’m going to go look for him!” San yells before Kazuaki-sensei could open his mouth and object, and Sakuya follows suit. It would do no good just to remain here, waiting.  
  
He has to retrieve Doctor Iwamine, as well.  
  
  
  
vii.  
  
  
  
Ryouta wakes up panicked with shallow breathing, his eyes darting around the rooming looking for something— looking for _her_. Shuu’s left wing twitches in amusement.   
  
“Must have been some nightmare.” Shuu says.  
  
Ryouta flinches. Apparently, in his distress to find the girl, Ryouta never noticed him. His eyes are hazy and unfocused.   
  
“Where is Hikyoko? What did you do to her!?” He yells.  
  
Shuu gives a noncommittal hum.  “The whereabouts of Tosaka-san is something that doesn’t concern me. But judging by your reaction, I assume that she is not in class.”  
  
Ryouta doesn’t respond; just stares at the shelf where Tosaka’s head once was.  
  
“Are you still feeling ill? You seem quite flushed.”  He asks clinically, making his way to the young rock-dove, with a thermometer in his wing. Ryouta moves out of the way, avoiding his touch. “I’m fine.” His voice is shakey and somehow more withdrawn. He repeats his statement, “I’m fine.”  
  
He turns back and smiles at him. It’s a fake smile, but it’s so much like— _Ryuuji’s smile_.  
  
“I must have let that worry get to my head.”  
  
“Of course.” Shuu replies, clutching thermometer tightly in his wing. “Of course.”  
  
 _He hasn’t forgotten about that wish._  
  
  
  
.  
  


**part two: the turn**

(the first act)  
  


  
  
i.    
  
  
  
The incinerator smells like death— Kazuaki thinks. Ash, bones, and musk— it’s a crisp scent, too poignant and sharp, like a slap in the face, a reminder. He was wandering around the campus, looking for his students, when the smell drew him closer.  
  
He peers in, coughing at the sharp intake of the smell, and sees bones. Human bones. They are charred and ashed, and a bit broken, but anyone could tell the differences between human and bird anatomy.  
  
He leaves the incinerator  in silence. There’s no question about it. It’s him. He’s the only one with the tools do something like this.  
  
Kazuaki narrows his eyes, because how and why?  
  
  
  
ii.  
  
  
  
San runs out. Sakuya follows slowly behind— “H-Hey, wait up?” He shouts panting.  
  
He halts and tilts his head toward the door.  “We’re here!”  
  
San opens the door and blanches— this place smells like blood, it smells so strong that San can taste it, and it doesn’t taste as good as those strawberry-flavored medicines he gets at the doctors, in fact, it’s like metal, something gross and inedible—  while Dr. Iwamine stands up to greet them (he’s never liked the man, especially since the weird injections)—  “I’m going to stay here just in case anyone else comes in,” he nods. “Perhaps you two could help Ryouta get back to the gym. I’m sure you can handle it.”  
  
Sakuya nods fervently. “Of course, is there anything that you need us to do?”  
  
Dr. Iwamine looks at Sakuya oddly, as if he was looking at a private joke– “No, nothing is needed.”  
  
San directs his intention at Ryouta— who looks like he’s going into shock. His face is pale,  and his hands are trembling. Ryouta looks at San and gives him a weak smile. “I’m fine, let’s go.”  
  
When they leave Dr. Iwamine’s office, San speaks.  
  
“You look weak; we should stop by the cafeteria and grab you a snack. Pudding can cure anything, after all.” he says.  
  
Ryouta lets out a small laugh, and San smiles, relieved. Pudding sounds pretty good about now.  
  
  
  
iii.  
  
  
  
Leone walks throughout the lone hallways, making sure the hallways are clear. It wouldn’t do any students good to be wandering around here. He finds a teacher, instead. “Kazuaki-sensei.” He greets.  
  
“One-san.”  
  
“What brings you in these halls?” He asks. All teachers should be with their students after all.  
  
“I’m looking for my students,” Kazuaki smiles at him pleasantly. It’s not a good smile— Leone thinks. He’s worried, anxious. “Did anything happen?”  
  
Kazuaki struggles with words, mouth gaping open and closed as if he’s not quite sure what to say. At then he lets out a loose, strangled, laugh. “It appears one of my students had a tumble in the incinerator.”  
  
It’s silent for a few minutes. There’s no question regarding which student was found dead. In fact, it makes sense. It’s clever, getting rid of the evidence like that, Leone has to admit.  
  
“Well, no shit.” Upon gazing at Kazuaki’s shocked expression, he rectifies his previous statement. “If she— the human representative— died, there would be consequences.”  
  
“How do you know this?”  
  
“I’m a janitor, I hear things.” Kazuaki stares at him, unconvinced. Leone wonders how such a sleepy bird could have such sharp eyes.“Leone J.B. from the Dove Party, at your service. I’ve been keeping a tab on things.”  
  
No good would come in telling him the whole truth regarding the situation. Half-truths are fine, and it's not like there's a lie in there.  
  
Kazuaki’s voice took on an odd quality. “If the Dove Party is here, then isn’t the Hawk Party here as well?”  
  
A sinking feeling creeps up onto Leone, and he can't shake it off.  
  
This was a mistake.  
  
  
  
iv.  
  
  
  
Kazuaki never forgot what happened all those years ago. He repeats the question again.  
  
“Yes.” Leone, says. “We suspect it might be Iwamine Shuu.”  
  
Kazuaki wasn’t surprised at that declaration— he’s always knew. Always suspected. Leone’s voice snaps him out of his musings. “You’re still looking for your students, correct? Which ones are they?”  
  
It’s a moment before he answers.  
  
“Okosan, Sakuya Le Bel Shirogane, they went to go fetch Kawara Ryouta from the Doctor’s office.”  
  
“Shit. That’s not good. I’ll go look for them— you should go back to the gym. Don’t be involved in this,” Leone says, before walking off.  
  
 _It’s too late_ , Kazuaki thinks. I _’ve been involved in this a long time ago_.  
  
  
  
v.  
  
  
  
Pat. Pat. Pat.  
  
Footsteps fall from the corner of the hallway and it takes a lot in San not run. He’s always been a fearless bird, but this– this dim-barely lit hallway with shut-off windows and creepy noises was too much! Just too much!  
  
“What should we do?” Ryouta whispers.  
  
Sakuya is unimpressed. “It might just be a teacher, ignore it.”  
  
The steps get longer, and a figure emerges from the hallway— the three boys freeze. The bird lights a lighter, and stares at Sakuya.  
  
“Mister One?” Ryouta blinks. The cockatiel ignores him.  
  
“You’re Sakuya, Yuuya’s brother.” San watches Sakuya flinch at the name. “Half-brother,” he corrects, stiffly. “That mong—”  
  
“Quit the histrionics.” He snaps.  
  
Sakuya falters. “What of him?”  
  
“He’s been missing for two months.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
Mister One’s twitches, a faint smile on his lips. “So you do care.”  
  
“Quit the semantics.” Sakuya snaps. “How do you know my brother? What relation do you have with him? Where is he?”  
  
San cocks his head in interest— even though he wasn’t the smartest bird around, it’s funny how Sakuya didn’t deny his brotherhood with Yuuya, he thinks.  
  
Mister One clears his throat. “We worked together. Leone J.B of the Dove Party, at your service.” He says and flinches at the 3 loud exclamations of “What!!!???” ( _Coo_!!??)  
  
  
  
vi.  
  
  
  
“Your brother was part of the Dove Party as well, he was my partner, in fact.”  
  
Sakuya nods, taking  in the information. “The Dove Party, is the secret political faction that advocates living in harmony with humans, correct?”  
  
“Yes. Your brother went missing while doing some investigating,  a little bit more than two months ago— we suspect, he’s dead,” Leone paused, studying Sakuya’s expression. It didn’t change. “I have been investigating the school, trying to find some evidence regarding what has taken place.”  
  
Yuuya Sakazaki went missing two months ago, while snooping around Iwamine’s office. The boy waved Leone’s worries off with a smile, talking about a cute girl who was covering for him— a cute girl, who’s dead now, too.  
  
Sakuya still didn’t respond.  
  
“He was last scene at the Doctor’s office.” Leone says, testing the words on his tongue, testing for a reaction.  
  
Sakuya flinches.  
  
Leone changes the subject, it wouldn’t be good to press the subject.  
  
“I met your teacher, earlier.” He says. “I was wandering the hallways keeping an eye out for students, when I met your teacher. He told me that he was looking for his students.”  
  
“Did you happen to see a girl? A human one?” Ryouta asks, his voice shaking in desperation. “She’s probably at home, Ryouta. Stop worrying.” Sakuya says, nonplussed  
  
Ryouta ignores him.  
  
Leone stays silent for a moment.  
  
“She’s dead, isn’t she?” Ryouta asks, in a low voice. “I- I– I saw her head, before I passed out. In Dr. Iwamine’s room. The last time I saw her, she told me she was going to go help him.” He admits.  
  
San and Sakuya gape, behind him.  
  
“Ah.” He confirms. “Strange though, that he kept her head. After all, the rest of her was burned in the incinerator. Your teacher actually found her, while looking for you three.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“But why— why, is she dead? It it related to the school shutting down, is it related to my brother?” Sakuya fires out of these questions in quick haste, spitting one after another. And then more hesitantly he asks, looking at Ryouta, “Is this related to Dr. Iwamine?”  
  
“There’s probably a dire situation going on, but I suspect that Tosaka-san’s death may be a part of it. Our current situation doesn’t have to do with you brother, but I will say this— your brother, isn’t the first student to go missing this year. Another student, Anghel Higure of class 2-2, went missing a few weeks prior to your brother’s disappearance. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the two of them were killed by Dr. Iwamine as well. Dr. Iwamine used to be part of the Hawk Party, I wouldn’t be surprised.”  
  
“What’s that?” Ryouta asks, and San coos in agreement.  
  
“The political party that wanted to eliminate all humans.” Leone replies. “They’ve been dispatching agents to this school for a long time.  
  
“I don’t believe it,” Sakuya says, indignantly. “Dr. Iwamine is a well respected member of the medical community, he wouldn’t just—”  
  
“Just what?” Ryouta interjected.  
  
“I know what I saw—”  
  
“You fainted, you’ve always been sickly— you were probably just projecting those rumors and your worries. Be realistic here, Ryouta. Dr. Iwamine’s never been like that! Besides this school has always been supportive of human endeavor. Nothing adds up. ”  
  
“ _Cooo_!” (He drugged Okosan once, too!)  
  
“It was for your health, besides that doesn’t have anything to do with this!” Sakuya snaps.  
  
“It means that he can’t be trusted.”  
  
Sakuya stares at them—  “I refuse to believe it.”  
  
Leone looks at him, and blinks. “Is it really that hard to believe? You’re family always hated Yuuya, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if they ordered him to do it. And covered it up.”  
  
The silence in the room broke, as Sakuya slams the door behind him.  
  
Leone blinks, he must have hit a mark. “I shouldn’t have said that– we, we should go after him. And then— and then we’ll figure this out.”  
  
Ryouta shakes his head. “We’ll go after him— I was the one who started the accusations, anyways. It’s not your fault.”  
  
“ _Cooo_!”  (Agreed!)  
  
“We’ll see you— Leone.” Ryouta says, giving him a tight smile.  
  
Leone returns the smile. “Be safe. Go back to the gym when you find him, it’s not safe for you kids to be wandering around right now.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
  
  
vii.  
  
  
  
Kazuaki continues to wander the halls.  
  
He went to a fortune teller once, pushed into it by students at a fair he was chaperoning— about his narcolepsy. The swan told him that the demons are haunting, trying to drag his spirit down with him. There weren’t multiple demons— there were just two.  
  
And truthfully, he didn’t blame them at all.  
  
  
  
viii.  
  
  
  
They find Sakuya approaching the principal hall. Ryouta calls out towards him, and Sakuya sharply turns the other way.  
  
San chases after him—  “Coo Coo Coo!” (Don’t go hiding from us again, we’re your friends)  
  
Ryouta follows suit. “He’s right— and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressed accusations.”  
  
Sakuya looks at him with dull eyes. “You still believe them.”  
  
Ryouta looks taken aback–  “Ah, yeah.”  
  
Suddenly a voice calls out towards them. “What are you boys doing here?”  
  
It’s Kazuaki-sensei.  
  
  
  
ix.  
  
  
  
He is surprised to see the three of them standing around the principal’s office. Ryouta and San look unsure, their gaze following Sakuya. “I wanted to go ask the Headmaster for answers.”  
  
“I was about to do the same thing— I was looking for you three, by the way—”  
  
“We know. Leone told us. But are you sure?”  
  
“Yes— those are the remains of human bones, they are too big to be just anybirdie’s.” Kazuaki replies. “Most of the primary evidence regarding the identity was gone, anyways— burned to ash. Once we get out of here, we should probably do forensic testing on the bones.”  
  
“Yeah.” Ryouta answers. There’s not much to say to that— what more can you say in response to a friend being dead.  
  
Kazuaki opens his mouth to say something, offer some words of comfort, before closing it again. _This isn’t the time for condolences_ , Kazuaki thinks, and judging by the look in these boy’s eyes, they seem to be in agreement.  
  
Kazuaki clears his throat and changes the subject. “Well, then— we should probably go inside, if we want answers.”  
  
The door clicks open.  
  
  
  
x.  
  
  
  
The headmaster is dead.  
  
  
  
.

 

 

**part two: the turn**

(the second overture)

  
  
  
i.  
  
  
  
Sakuya accesses the situation. Really, there isn’t anyone else as able as him to take charge. Kazuaki-sensei, the fool, jolted up high, startled by the dead body ended up banging his head in the process. And it doesn’t look if the other two are going to do anything.  
  
“It’s suicide,” he says softly, gazing at the pills on the desk. “We should still look around though, we might find something useful.” Kazuaki nods, and pulls the chair aside. Ryouta and San still look pale. Yet still step forward and look at the shelves. At least, San does.  
  
Sakuya glances at the shelves, not really finding anything. “Nothing here is really conclusive in regards to what we need,” he says. “In fact—”  
  
“Hang on a sec, I think I’m onto something!” Ryouta interrupts from the otherside. “It’s called: A Human Representative,” Ryouta tells them.  
  
Kazuaki-sensei’s eyes widen in recognition. “That’s what Leone called Hiyoko-san.”  
  
Sakuya scoffs at his teacher. “That’s what everyone calls Hiyoko. But it’s strange, it’s not like she’s a problem student or anything. There is honestly no need for her to have a big file. But still, why is it under lock and key?” He ponders. “There should be a key to this somewhere.” Sakuya glances at the table, there isn’t much there aside from some sort of control panel.  
  
“Maybe we should just take this to Leone, he’ll know what to do. And as a maintenance worker, he should have access everywhere.” Kazuaki suggests.  
  
Ryouta shifts and Sakuya narrows his eyes. “Are you intending to break it open?”  
  
“It should be faster.”  
  
Sakuya’s gaze follows Ryouta’s— who seems to be looking at the control panel.  
  
“Do you think it opens it?” Ryouta asks him.  
  
“I don’t think so— look what’s next to it. Blueprints and plans for the dome.”  
  
“We should probably still go to Leone, though. He should be able to handle these things. And then we should head back to the gym and check on everyone.” Kazuaki-sensei says, reiterating his previous statement.  
  
“That does seem for best. We also need to go find Dr. Iwamine.” Sakuya adds.  
  
“We’ll split up then. You and Ryouta can go to Leone. I’ll go with San to find the Doctor.”  
  
Sakuya opens his mouth, wanting to say something— he needs to go out there and find the Doctor and tell them about these ridiculous stories that are being said. He needs to find out the truth. But there was something stopping him— it wasn’t till they split apart, that he realized it was the look in Kazuaki-sensei’s eyes.    
  
  
  
ii.  
  
  
  
Ryouta and Sakuya find Leone first. “So can you break this open?”  
  
“Yeah.” Leone says. “But it’d take a while. You kids are lucky you didn’t try, because this thing is programmed to combust on the spot!”  
  
“Why would there be a bomb inside a document?” Sakuya cries.  
  
“It’s something that they don’t want people to see, or find out. I can still do it though, so don’t worry. It’s the type of skill that they teach just any ol’ maintenance worker. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m a Bright and Massive maintenance worker.”  
  
“So, maintenance work in Japan requires a number of skills. I am impressed.”  
  
Ryouta looks at Sakuya flatly and privately thinks that his friend can be just as scattered brain as San, sometimes.  
  
“There’s one other thing, sir. We found a circuit board for the Dome in the office. We were wondering if you could figure out how to open it.”  
  
Leone scratched his head. “Huh. Yuuya was always the better hacker, but I’ll see what I can do. I can guarantee results.” He says.    
  
“My brother used to hack!” Sakuya exclaims, looking affronted.  
  
“Mhmm. Taught him everything I know.” Leone nods absentmindedly. “You guys should go wander around, go find your teacher or something. Come back later, okay.”  
  
  
  
iii.  
  
  
  
Dr. Iwamine wasn’t in his office, Sakuya finds out. Instead he finds, Kazuaki-sensei standing by the door.  
  
“He’s not in there.” Kazuaki-sensei states. “The door’s locked too, and I don’t have accessed to the Master Key. We should probably head back to Leone, he might have it.”  
  
“Sounds like an adequate plan,” Sakuya sniffs, before glancing around.  
  
“Where’s San?” He asks.  
  
“I’ve sent him back to the gym to keep an eye on everybirdie, to make sure that no one leaves.”  
  
“Ah.”  
  
The walk between them is silent, as they go back towards the Maintenance Office. They are only half-way there, when they hear a voice call out to them. It’s Leone’s voice. “I’m working on the hacking right now,” he says. “I’m not as good or as fast as Yuuya— that boy works at avian speed— but I should get the job done.”  
  
It’s only a few moments later when Leone speaks again. “I’ve gotten us access to the administrator’s system.”  
  
“There are only two options: Open and Close, and as of right now, I think it would be wise if we open it.” Sakuya glances to the quail for confirmation, who nods. “Our headmaster is currently dead, and it doesn’t look like the situation can get any better if we leave it closed.” He says.  
  
Leone presses the button and somewhere beyond, the hatch is opened.  
  
  
  
iv.  
  
  
  
Ryouta heads towards the library. He feels pretty tired, and the hallways are too quiet and the silence burns his ears. Libraries are nice, Hiyoko liked to spend time in them, Ryouta reflects. Said she always felt a sense of peace there, and personally Ryouta thinks that’s because she took a good nap there.  
  
But maybe he’ll take her word on it. It’s hardly the time for a nap, though. But silences and libraries go hand in hand— and it soothes you gently, rather than choking silence of this hallway. He wasn’t in the mood to go to the gym and talk to the other students, either.  
  
Sakuya didn’t follow him, instead probably made a turn for Dr. Iwamine’s office. Ryouta could have joined, but he wasn’t ready to make way back there.  
  
Ryouta clicks the door open and ends up, jolts as he hears the rustling of pages. There couldn’t have been anybirdie here, could there?  
  
Then in the corner of his eyes, he sees an unfamiliar bird.  
  
It’s a mourning dove.  
  
“Um… hi,” Ryouta says, awkwardly.  
  
The dove jumps, startled. He must have been really focused on his book, Ryouta notes.  
  
“You must be Kawara Ryouta,”  
  
“Y—Yes, I am. Have we met before?”  
  
The mourning dove shakes his head. “Tosaka-san has spoken about you.”  
  
Ryouta blinks in faint recognition. He does recall Hiyoko telling him about a freshmen, who she spends time with. “And you are?”  
  
“Fujishiro Nageki.”  
  
“Did you by any chance see Hiyoko, yesterday after school, or even early this morning?”  
  
At his silence, Ryouta fumbled. “She ended up—”  
  
“Yes, I know.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“I saw her earlier today—”  
  
Wait. What.  
  
“She came up from the chemistry room,” he continues, “and talked to me— so I figured that’s why—”  
  
He didn’t get to finish his sentence, instead he disappeared entirely and Ryouta was left wondering if he’s lost entire goddamn mind.  
  
  
  
v.  
  
  
  
They find Ryouta wandering the hallways, seeming worse for wear.  
  
"The hatch's been opened!" Sakuya says.  
  
"What?" Ryouta stammers. "The hatch is open, let's head towards the dome." Sakuya snaps.  
  
"Yeah, let's go."  
  
  
  
vi.  
  
  
  
This isn't right. There is no natural disaster. No turbulent skies or rumbling thunder.  
  
The hatch is small, just enough to fit two to three birds at a time.  
  
"Let's not make haste." Kazuaki warns, holding back Ryouta for volunteering.  
  
Ryouta opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything two other students came out.  
  
Kazuaki goes towards them, “You kids shouldn’t be here, both of you should go back to the gym now.”  
  
The kids scoff. “Like hell we believe that dumb order, and like hell, we’re staying.”  
  
And with that they take off into flight and then bang, gunshots.  
  
The other kid scurries off in fright, probably back to the gym, while Kazuaki stares at the now-dead student.  
  
“They just… they just shot him,” Ryouta says, going into shock.  
  
“Just what on Earth is going on?” Sakuya wonders.  
  
Thud. Ryouta flinches at the noise. The hatch is shut closed– no one up there closed it, it just happened so on it’s own. While closing it made this squeaking-croaking noise, as if it was wheezing for air.  
  
It felt like nothing, but a cruel joke.  
  
  
  
vii.  
  
  
  
Leone has the file ready for when they come back. Nothing makes sense. Sakuya tries to gather the information once again— Hiyoko from their class was confirmed dead, the lockdown in the school for a natural disaster (despite it being a perfectly clear day), and now guns?  
  
It doesn’t really add up.  
  
And then there’s the file Ryouta got from the Headmaster’s office, entitled, “A Human Representative,” a file that was enclosed and promised combustion if forced open.  
  
“I’ve had it ready and waiting for you guys,” Leone says, he looks tired—  “It appears like our worst fears are real.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Sakuya demands.  
  
“We’ve been investigating the Hawk Party for a while, considering the fact that they’ve always been a bunch of Hawk Party operatives around this school, mainly in the board, and perhaps in some faculty as well. It’s always been a strange thing, because your school’s principal financier has been donating to charities that help humans, for the past twenty years. It doesn’t make much sense. You should probably have a read yourself. I read it, while waiting for you two.”  
  
Leone hands the file over to Ryouta who begins to flip through pages. “To help humans and birds advance hand-in-feather towards a bright and happy future, we have decided to enroll one human in the school starting in the year 2187. This will be the Human Representative. The pandemic has long since ended, but we must nonetheless be cautious of the risk of infection with the Sumatera Influenza while making our selection. We will pick a strong, healthy fifteen year old human who displays a hereditary resistance to Sumatera Influenza.” Ryouta recites, taking a deep breath he continues, but Sakuya’s head is already spinning.  
  
“The chosen individual will be a symbol of human concession, to wit, a hostage for birds.If the Representative is to die in the school, the entire campus will be sealed off, and all the birds inside will be given to the humans as prisoners.The seal will be lifted twelve hours after the death is confirmed, and the birds will be delivered to the humans.The school will be declared an extraterritorial zone, and avian protests of any human reprisal will not be tolerated.”  
  
“If Hiyoko dies, we die,” Ryouta murmurs.  
  
“We only have a few hours though, 3 hours have already passed.” Leone says.  
  
Sakuya blinks. Has it really only been 3 hours? It feels like 3 months.  
  
“Wait. Who confirmed her death?” He asks.  
  
“It wasn’t any of us. We found out, only an hour and a half ago.”  
  
Ryouta gives him a hard look. “There’s only one plausible answer for this.”  
  
“You still don’t have definite proof. Leone said that there were multiple Hawk agents dispatched here” Sakuya says, returning the stare. “Then, let’s find him and settle this, once and for all.”  
  
  
  
viii.  
  
  
  
They meet Kazuaki again, who appeared to have been unable to locate Dr. Iwamine. “I checked the Doctor’s office, but he isn’t in there.”  
  
“What about the other science buildings?” Sakuya asks. “He’s known to go towards chem halls, sometimes. He’s quite an adept chemist.”  
  
“How do you know this?”  
  
“The Doctor is a prodigy, he’s quite versed in pharmaceuticals. And those medicines are formed from mere elements and compounds, along with natural remedies.”  Sakuya replies. He pauses for a moment, thinking.  
  
“We also should head on over to the library as well and do some research about the history of this school, and this Human Representative program.”  
  
Ryouta nods. “But first the Doctor.”  
  
  
  
ix.  
  
  
  
They find him with a corpse.  
  
It’s that kid, Ryouta realizes with sinking horror, it’s that kid that was shot down. Doctor Iwamine doesn’t look up from his study of the body, to greet them. “I was on a stroll, when I found him laying there. I managed to get a cart and take him up that way. “Fortunately,” at this statement the Doctor quirks up a bit, “elevators still work and I was able to take him here. It’s easier to do a full dissection when you have a bigger table.”  
  
“Dissection?” Ryouta says, unable to swallow those words.  
  
“Autopsy.” The Doctor corrects, not at all bothered.  
  
“What part of an autopsy involves incisions into the deceased body?”  Kazuaki-sensei asks, eyes narrowed.  
  
Dr. Iwamine turns towards them now and offers them a small smile. “You’d be surprised.”  
  
He turns back to the body. “I’m trying to take the bullets out of the body— a few were stuck in, while some were just clean shots.”  He explains.  
  
It’s silence between the four again. “Doctor, did you see Hiyoko— Tosaka Hiyoko? I know she’s part of the Health Committee— she told me that she helps out. She helped you out yesterday, didn’t she?”  
  
Ryouta asks again.

“Yes.”  
  
“So what happened to her?”  
  
The Doctor shrugs. “She did her job and left.”  
  
Ryouta shakes his head. “I don’t believe that.”  
  
Sakuya glares back at Ryouta. “He said he didn’t do it— he’s an esteemed Doctor, why would he lie about such things? You’re just projecting those ridiculous rumors on him.”  
  
“You boys should go, you had plans to research in the library, correct? I’ll keep an eye on him.” Kazuaki-sensei says— trying to diffuse the tension.  
  
The doctor laughs. “You too, Kazuaki?”  
  
The quail’s smile was fanged— predator like, Ryouta thinks. “I’ll fill you in,” he says. “Maybe then, you’ll see the evidence.”  
  
  
  
x.  
  
  
  
It’s quiet between the two doves in the hallway. “I know he did it,” Ryouta says. “Even though he means something to you, it’s just that he was the last person to have seen her and I just feel it— I feel the truth settling in between my bones. Don’t you? You’re beginning to crack, aren’t you.”  
  
“Just be quiet.” Sakuya says, back stiff, not at all in the mood for a conversation. Well, this conversation. “You mentioned this earlier, in passing, but you saw a bird in that library, correct?”  
  
“His name is Fujishiro Nageki. Hiyoko seemed to have know him. She says, he spends all his time in there. He’s probably there now. Maybe we could ask him for help. ” Ryouta answers, as they approach the library doors.  
  
He pushes the door open. “Nageki-san!”  
  
The mourning dove looks up from his reading and stares up at him. “Can I help you?”  
  
“Do you know where the school records are, there’s been an emergency!”  
  
“You get them by request?”  
  
“They’re not on the shelves, they are kept behind the receptionist’s desk. It should be unlocked though, so you’re free to use them.”  
  
“Thank you! Did you get that, Sakuya?” Ryouta calls back to the fantail, standing by the door.  
  
Sakuya looks at him, strangely. “Kawara. There is no one there.”  
  
Ryouta looks back at Nageki, “Are you a hallucination?” He asks. The mourning dove gives him a look, indicating that was the stupidest question, ever asked. “Are you aware that you are asking a hallucination, if it’s a hallucination?”  
  
Well, he can’t really be affronted. The dove is right, anyways.  
  
“It’s strange though,” Nageki continues. “I’ve never been able to talk to anyone else so quickly, aside from her.” Ryouta clenches his wing, it’s no question, whose he’s talking about. “But I feel like I’ll be able to remember quickly,” he says.  
  
“Huh?” But before Ryouta could articulate his question, Nageki was gone.  
  
“Kawara. Kawara.” Sakuya waves one wing in front of him, grabbing his attention. “Snap out of it.”  
  
“Ah, yeah.” Ryouta offers him a sheepish smile. “The books are kept behind the receptionist desk, it should be unlocked though.”  
  
Sakuya follows the instructions, looking at Ryouta skeptically. “Is this what we’re looking for?” He asks, holding up a book entitled “Chronology of St. Pigeonation’s.”  
  
“Must be,” Ryouta responds going over.  
  
The two birds pour over the books, skimming the pages for detail. “This school was founded 2180,” Sakuya recites. “That’s only 8 years ago. I thought it’s been around for much longer. The rest of this is just useless records regarding academics and athletics. Pointless.”  
  
Ryouta shakes his head. “No, wait Sakuya look at this! It says there was a fire in the year 2183. It occurred in the medical center.”  
  
“We had a medical center?”  
  
“I didn’t know either.”  
  
Ryouta glances back at the page and keeps reading. “It closed down because of the fire. Freshman, Fujishiro Nageki died in the basement, where it started.”  
  
“Fujishiro… Hey, Ryouta isn’t that the name of…”  
  
“A ghost? That explains why you couldn’t see him—”  
  
Sakuya cuts him off. “Enough.”  
  
Ryouta glances back at Sakuya. “I wasn’t aware it was possible for you to go two shades whiter.” He says, a smile playing on his face.  
  
Sakuya glares at him again. “Enough.”  
  


 

  
 **part two: the turn**  
  
(the third shift)  
  
  


  
  
  
i.  
  
  
  
He prides himself on making sure his emotions are checked— but this is getting to be a bit too much, Sakuya thinks.  
  
On some subconscious level, he knows that Ryouta must be right in regards to the events of Hiyoko Tosaka. And his brother. He can’t speak much about the third student, that boy from class 2-2, but the fact that they were all last scene in Dr. Iwamine’s office, continues to hang over him.  
  
That doctor helped the Le Bel family, Sakuya thinks. It would be a dishonor to the Le Bel name to incriminate him like that.  
  
“Sakuya?” Ryouta calls out him, snapping him out of his thoughts. “We’re here.”  
  
They’ve reached the medical center, it’s still standing, shoved out into the corner— unused, abandoned, a piece of time that has been frozen and hidden in blatant lock and key.  
  
“We’re going to have to break in.” Sakuya says.  
  
“You’re beginning to sound like a delinquent, Sakuya.” Ryouta remarks, shaking his head when Sakuya looks at him questioningly. “Don’t worry about it”  
  
The two birds walk in the building and don’t find much of anything at first. “We should probably go in deeper,” Sakuya says and Ryouta nods.  
  
Later, they find themselves in an office full of shelves with medical files, along with something else.  
  
“Operation Hatoful?” Sakuya says, looking at the shelf name with a puzzled gaze.  
  
“Let’s check it out, it’s the only disparancy. It should have something.” Ryouta says, opening the shelf’s door. It creaks open, causing both birds to wince.  
  
Sakuya scoffs. “There isn’t much in here, unless you’re counting these worn-down medical journals and books.”  
  
Ryouta crouches and squints. “I think those are encyclopedias, like the ones in the library. But wait, why are there two copies of six.”  
  
“It might be a nine, turned upside down.”  
  
“I don’t think it is, it has a library sticker on it.” Ryouta says, “Someone might have switched it with volume nine, though. I guess this warrants another trip to the library.”  
  
Sakuya looks ill. “I rather not.”  
  
  
  
ii.  
  
  
  
They don’t go to the library, instead they head continue their exploration of the halls of the medical building.  
  
“There’s one place we haven’t seen,” Sakuya says.  
  
“The basement.”  
  
Sakuya looks around, “There were no buttons in the elevator that took you to the basement, so it had to be something else.”  
  
Sakuya stops walking, his gaze rested at a wall. Ryouta looks at him, confused, concerned.  
  
“Is there something there?”  
  
Sakuya shakes his head and mutters something that sounds like, “I shouldn’t have expected a bird of your pedigree to see such things,” before clearing his throat. “Take a look around, this wall is a different from the rest.”  
  
Ryouta blinks. Now that he mentions it, it does look considerably newer than the other walls. “So the stairs could be here?”  
  
“Most likely.” Sakuya replies. “We just need to figure out an alternate way of entering this building. But for now, we should head back.”  
  
  
  
iii.  
  
  
  
As soon as they reached the main building they ran into Leone again, who handed them a Master Key to the school, and a stun gun for protection. Sakuya gave the stun gun to Ryouta, judging by the look on his face— he seems to want to go back there, to the old medical center, but before that the library.  
  
“It’s for safety.” Sakuya says gruffly, as he hands them the gun as they walk out of Leone’s office.  
  
“You sure it’s not for ghosts?” Ryouta teases.  
  
Sakuya scoffs, ignoring the heat building up. “Of course not!”    
  
There is silence between the two birds, before Ryouta begins talking again.  
  
“I just have this feeling,” Ryouta confesses. “That whatever is going on— the truth is down there. I just have to head below.”  
  
“Face your demons, and unlock the truth. Only then, will you be free from hell.” Sakuya mused.  
  
“What?”  
  
Sakuya shook his head. “Nothing a bird like you, could understand.” It’s only later that he realized, it’s something that a bird like him couldn’t have understood, either.  
  
  
  
iv.  
  
  
  
Ryouta makes his way to the library, hurried.  
  
“Nageki-san!” He calls.  
  
The mourning dove tilts his head in acknowledgement.  
  
“Nageki-san… you… you aren’t really here, right?”  
  
Nageki didn’t reply.  
  
Ryouta tried again. “The school records— they say that you died 5 years ago in a fire, when this school had a medical center.”  
  
“I know that. I stopped my own clock. That’s why I can never leave.”  
  
“Y-you mean to say…” Ryouta sputters, unable to finish that sentence.  
  
“I killed myself, that much I know.”  
  
“So not in the fire?”  
  
Nageki shrugs.  
  
Ryouta isn’t sure what to do next. Not sure how to respond either. So he just shifts the conversation along. “I just need a clue, we know that there is a basement underneath the medical center, we just need to know how to access it. We didn’t find much aside from the encyclopedias— oh right!”  
  
“Encyclopedias?” Nageki asks.  
  
Ryouta nods. “Remember how we only have 2 copies of volume 9 here? The set of encyclopedias in the medical center has 2 copies of volume 6, there. Someone must have switched them.”  
  
“Very disruptive.” Nageki murmurs.  
  
“Yeah… okay, but one of the volume 6’s has a library sticker on it, so someone must have switched it from here.”  
  
Nageki looks lost in thought for a moment. “Maybe you should try looking at the volume nine over here.”  
  
“Ah, yeah. Okay.” Ryouta replies, the book felt odd and when he made the move to open it, he realized that this isn’t a book at all.  
  
“It’s a box full of documents.”  
  
Nageki peers inside and reads title of the file.  
  
“Operation Hatoful.”  
  
  
  
v.  
  
  
  
_Nageki remembers._  
  
 _Kawara-san opens the box and Nageki remembers._  
  
 _He doesn’t just remember the incident that occurred 5 years ago. He remembers his life._  
  
 _He doesn’t really remember his parents, he’s lived in an orphanage his whole life. One full of war orphans, but that wasn’t something he considered important back then. Back then home was a big house full of other chicks. But then something happened._  
  
 _Humans, awful evil humans, broke in and tried to kill them all. He had his eyes closed, and he was huddling in a corner as the gun went through rounds eradicating his siblings, until silence. When he opened his eyes again, he saw other birds coming into save us— save him. He thought the other birds killed the humans, but it didn’t turn out that way._  
  
 _After that, he lived with his brother. The only other one who survived, besides him. It was a simple time; a happier time, yet it was a difficult time. He couldn’t do much to help around the house, he couldn’t go to school, couldn’t work. He was useless._  
  
 _That’s when he got a letter from St. Pigeonations_  
  
 _We wish to welcome you with special treatment. How would you like to study at the world’s foremost avian school?_  
  
 _We will provide anything you need. Anything at all._  
  
 _There is a hospital on school grounds. We will provide a room for you to live there. You shall receive all the care you require.”_  
  
 _His brother was ecstatic, this was good news. He’d now have the opportunity to get better. Move on to better and brighter things, and if he was being truthful, he really didn’t want to go. He liked staying with his brother, but if he went— his brother would get to chance to truly live._  
  
 _Then came the first summer, when the doctors offered him intensive treatment. They told him, he would get better by the end of the summer. He would be working his way to a recovery. But, but it was nothing of the sort._  
  
 _At first it was fine. Just a bunch of examinations. But then, then they brought in the humans. And they would begin to asphyxiate at his presence. It wasn’t that hard to figure out why he was here. What was wrong with him._  
  
 _There was a virus living inside him._  
  
 _That virus didn’t just kill the humans, it killed him too._  
  
 _Not— not in the biological way. It didn’t harm him, but—_  
  
 _There’s something about watching people die. About watching the life slip out of someone’s eyes. It’s the kind of thing that stains your heart, unless you are fueled with burning hatred or revenge. And he didn’t feel either of those things._  
  
 _He just felt sick._  
  
 _He had to end this, even if it meant ending him._  
  
  
  
vi.  
  
  
  
It’s called the Charon’s Virus.  
  
It’s the virus that kills humans if they are within it’s proximity. It’s airborne.  
  
It could have killed Hiyoko.  
  
It must have killed Hiyoko.  
  
He must have done something.  
  
Ryouta needs to move. He needs to move now. He– he needs to leave, he needs to go find him. He—   
  
“Kawara-san!”  
  
Ryouta blinks.  
  
“There is something else here in the box.”  
  
“Oh yeah.” Ryouta shuffles through the box, and there peeking out is a map from when the medical building was still in use.  
  
“I used to go through the medical building, but there must be a passageway that connects the school building to the medical one.”  
  
Ryouta looked at the map carefully. “Hmm… that looks like the gym, so those stairs must be—”  
  
“– the chemistry preparation room. At least that’s what I believe.”  
  
Ryouta looks back up at Nageki. “Thank you,” he says. “I need to go.”  
  
The Doctor was in the chemistry hall earlier, with that boy. He must be there. He must be doing something, there.  
  
Nageki nods. “I’ll see you soon.”  
  
Ryouta’s already halfway out the door, but he could have sworn that he heard Nageki say that he’d will see her, again as well.  
  
  
  
vii.  
  
  
  
It was later.  
  
They decided to split up, with Ryouta taking care of the library— before going down to the medical center (with San), while Sakuya took care of finding the Doctor. It was for the best and more work would be able to get done within this time crunch, Sakuya reasoned.  
  
The Doctor isn’t at his office, but it didn’t hurt to snoop around. He spent some time looking at files, looking for files. His brother’s more specifically. Yet, there was nothing, nothing substantial. There was nothing interesting about Tosaka’s file either, nor Anghel Higure (aside from his rather vivid imagination).  
  
The door clicked open, but Sakuya is unperturbed. “Hello, Doctor.”  
  
“Never thought a bird of your stature would be caught snooping.” Doctor Iwamine says.  
  
Sakuya flinches, and tried to ignore the part of his brain that wished he took the stun gun, instead. “I needed to find substantial evidence that you aren’t guilty.”  
  
“Guilty of what? Tosaka-san’s murder?”  
  
Sakuya nods.  
  
“Is my word not enough?”  
  
“It is for me, but Ryouta…”  
  
“Liar.”  
  
Sakuya’s eyes narrow. “Excuse me?”  
  
The Doctor’s eyes gleam. “Liar,” he repeats.  
  
“It’s funny how much you take after your brother. Lying, snooping around in my offices.”  
  
Wait. His brother? It shouldn’t surprise Sakuya, that Yuuya was snooping as well, he was a Dove Party member after all. But it still did.   
  
The Doctor keeps on talking. “Both of you mongrels. I shouldn’t be surprised of your behavior, considering your pedigree, isn’t worth much. You’re just behaving in the manner of your lower class.”  
  
What.  
  
It doesn’t register to Sakuya that he is saying this out loud.  
  
“Oh, don’t tell me you didn’t know?”  Shuu says— his voice has taken on a more gleeful tone. Sakuya is pressed back against the desk. He takes a minute to recover his footing.  
  
“Stop it with the games, Doctor. We both know that you are lying.”  
  
“Oh, but I’m not. You are a low-born, low-class mongrel. You aren’t your father’s son. You share Sakazaki’s blood, through and through.”  
  
The Doctor inches closer, but but Sakuya can’t think. _What does he mean? What does he mean? What does he mean?_ The question keeps running around in Sakuya’s head.   
  
There is a scalpel curled up in the Doctor’s wing, but Sakuya doesn’t notice. He’s too focused on the words that are coming out of the Doctor’s mouth. “I have never lied to you; withheld the truth, yes. But lied, no. And believe when I say that you’re cut from the same cloth as your brother. And it’s such a shame that Hiyoko Tosaka had to die. Perhaps you and your brother could have shared the same fate.”  
  
 _What?_  
  
The scalpel twists inside of Sakuya’s chest. It hurts. It hurts and he’s dying.  
  
The last thing he hears is the click of the door, and then it’s all black.  
  
  
  
viii.  
  
  
  
It isn’t Ryouta that discovers Sakuya, but Leone. He heard the ruckus, and saw the Doctor leave hurriedly through the halls. That’s when he saw Sakuya, dealing with what appears to be an immense amount of blood loss. With no time to waste, Leone goes through the medical cabinet, searching for supplies for an impromptu surgery.  
  
“I thought I was dying.” Sakuya says after a moment. His voice is hoarse and dry, Leone notes.  
  
“Don’t be melodramatic. It wasn’t that deep of an incision. You’re lucky you have so much plumage” — at this Sakuya puffs out his chest in pride — “Hey! Stop that you idiot, do you want to tear your wound?”  
  
“Sorry. Habit.” Sakuya says.  
  
Leone isn’t surprised.  
  
It’s quiet between the two birds, before Sakuya speaks again. His voice is quiet, numb, devoid of that haughtiness that was probably ingrained into him at birth. “Doc— _he_ said that Yuuya wasn’t my half-brother, I was actually his brother. I shared his blood. Is that true?”  
  
“I can’t tell you, kid.”  
  
“Yuu-" Sakuya pauses for a moment and amends his sentence, "My brother is dead, so who else is able tell me?” Sakuya says.  
  
Leone is quiet for a moment, as he tends to Sakuya’s wounds.  
  
Finally he says, “Your brother did some things that he isn’t proud of, but know this. He did it for you. He loved you more than you will ever know.”  
  
“Oh, I know.” Sakuya mutters and Leone laughs, and then Sakuya starts to laugh too. It was a nice break from the solemness of the conversation. But it doesn’t last long, because Sakuya starts crying. He doesn’t even appear to realize it, either.  
  
“You were right. He, the doctor, he did do something. And it was connected to Hiyoko. He killed her too. But he also said something strange. That Hiyoko was involved in Yuuya's murder.”  
  
 _What?_  
  
This case just seemed to be getting curiouser and curiouser.  
  
The school’s bell chimed in.  
  
They have 3 more hours left.  
  
  
  
ix.  
  
  
  
Ryouta ends up finding San, while looking for Leone or Sakuya. Even Kazuaki would do. There would be safety in numbers, and Ryouta— Ryouta was no hero, no prince. It didn’t make sense to go down there all alone.  
  
“What are you doing out?” He asks the fantail, befuddled.  
  
“ _Coo_!” (Looking for you and everyone else!)  
  
“Sorry, San. We did leave out in the gym, by yourself didn’t we?” Ryouta looked away. Even though this wasn't the most ideal situation, he did feel rather bad that they have all left San all on his own to his own devices.   
  
“ _Coo Coo_!” (It was fine! San looked after everyone!)  
  
Ryouta quirked up a bit. “That’s good! Hey, San did you see anyone else along the way? I found out more information and I need to talk to them.”  
  
San shook his head, indicating no, and Ryouta slumped a little bit. “We should go back and wait at Leone’s room, right? We don’t have time to waste— it’d be bad if we just wasted our time walking around aimlessly.”  
  
“ _Coo_!” (Let’s go!) San exclaimed, dragging Ryouta off behind him.  
  
“H– Hey, slow down!”  
  
  
  
x.  
  
  
  
Kazuaki is sitting in Leone’s room, when the door opens.   
  
“Sensei?” Ryouta questions. “Where is Leone-san?”  
  
“He heard a noise, so he went to investigate it, not to long ago.” Kazuaki replies. “Did you find some news?”  
  
“Yes!” But before Ryouta could speak again, the door slid open once more. This time with Leone and Sakuya.  
  
Ryouta gasped, while Kazuaki stood up straight with interest. “Is he alright?”  
  
“Yeah. He’ll be fine, he just needs some rest. It was the Doctor.” Leone says, gruffly, as he helps Sakuya sit down. He takes a look around the room, before setting his eyes on Ryouta. “Did you find something?”  
  
Kazuaki turns back to Ryouta, who begins speaking. “We discovered that there is a staircase in the prep room for the chemistry students, that’s the same place where the Doctor performed the autopsy on that bird.”  
  
Ryouta stops and glances at Sakuya, who waves his worried glances away. “I’m listening.”  
  
Kazuaki hums, curious. “I’ve never noticed a staircase in that room, I wonder where it could be hidden.”  
  
“Let’s go and find out,” Sakuya says.  
  
Leone narrows his eyes. “You should be staying here, resting.”  
  
“Let him go,” Kazuaki says, after a moment of watching those two banter. “It’d be even worse, if we left him onto his own devices.”  
  
Kazuaki hears Leone sigh. “Okay fine, you can come with us.”  
  
Ryouta blinks. “You’re coming too, Leone-san?”  
  
“Someone needs to look after him.” Leone says, looking down at Sakuya, who glares back.  
  
Surprisingly, it is Ryouta who comes to his classmate’s defense. “Leone-san, we still need to consider the other students. And what will happen to them. Is there anyway you can lead them down there, towards the basement.”  
  
“And if you guys don’t find the staircase?”  
  
“Breakdown the fairly new wall that was built in the abandoned medical center— it should take you down the same path,” Sakuya supplies.  
  
Leone nods. “Very well.”  
  
  
  
xi.  
  
  
  
“The staircase is hidden behind the mirror,” Sakuya says, almost immediately.  
  
“How do you know?” Ryouta asks. “How did you not notice this before?”  
  
“You tend to be more aware of such things, when you have family who wants you dead. Also, I’ve never had to look for it before. Sakuya says, before adding, “I don’t bother with things that don’t concern me.” Ryouta sends him a sympathetic glance, but Sakuya pays it no mind. It’s always been like that. It’s always been like that, from the moment he was born.

The only one of his siblings who treated him with genuine kindness was Yuuya. And now Yuuya is— Yuuya isn't here anymore. He hasn't been here for a while now. Sakuya swallows down the sobs that want to rile up. He feels so heavy  on the inside. 

But there are less than three hours left, and no where to go but forwards. 

 

**part three: the prestige** **  
** **  
**

 

i.

 

It is Ryouta who finds Iwamine, first. He raced ahead of the others, ahead of San helping Sakuya limp into the room, and dazed Kazauaki-sensei. 

The room he is in is nothing like the room that they all crossed. The earlier hallways had a modern build to them, sleek and glass filled. But this room is full of rusted metallic objects that are charred.  Despite the fire that occurred here years ago, this room is damp and cold. But there is something strange about this room, Ryouta notices the operating table on the side, in prestine condition. 

Iwamine speaks first. "You are late, Kawara-kun. We have grown tired of waiting." He's leaning against a shelf, and Ryouta can see Hiyoko's head there next to him. Her eyes are still open. 

"You...you killed her." Ryouta says, his voice shaking. 

"Yes." Iwamine answered. "There's no reason to deny it, now." 

"Why?"

"Because she wanted me to."

" _What_?" Ryouta looks at him with narrowed eyes. "She would never want to die, there are so many things she wanted to do. She never would have wanted this. Especially not a death like that!" His voice rises as he talks, anger building. 

"Perhaps, I should start from the beginning. Kawara-kun. Tell me, have you ever been in love?"

"What does that have do with anything!?"  Ryouta says harshly. 

"Everything." Iwamine says. "You see Kawara-kun, Tosaka-san loves me."

And that's when everything came at a deafening halt. 

 

ii.

 

They came in a while ago, but Ryouta hasn't noticed them standing behind them. Ryouta is trembling, San notices. 

Even though he can't see Ryouta's face from here, San feels a sense of overwhelming pity. You see, _love_ , love is huge. Love isn't a term you use lightly. Not when Hiyoko-chan is dead. 

And Hiyoko-chan loved the scary Doctor.

San doesn't really understand why, but he suspects it's something like pudding and it envelops you and takes you to another plane. You'll do anything for someone when you love them, even when the situation is dangerous. He wonders if that's a feeling Hiyoko shared. 

He wonders if she'd be okay if she loved pudding too, he wonders if she'd still be here.

 

 

iii.

 

Kazuaki listens to Iwamine speak. 

"When you love someone, you do anything for them. _Don't you understand?_ "

Ryouta doesn't respond. 

"Of course my first love is, and always will be research, so she became research. Just another piece of the puzzle for me to study." Iwamine glances at the container with her head, wistfully. "She's become a lot more endearing to me this way. Do you know about the mere-exposure effect and how you get attracted to things after repeated contact? Though, I will admit- it was a bit more than that. She was a bit more than that."

Then staring at Sakuya, he says. "She was an excellent accomplice too. Did everything perfectly, even when she was unaware. She was horrified when she learned the truth, but I think that secretly, deep down, she really didn't mind." 

 

iv. 

 

Sakuya prides himself on not responding to the rather pathetic jibe.  "I don't understand. That's not a reason to simply kill her." 

He moves forward, till he's standing side by side with Ryouta, who is frozen in shock, not saying anything. Just shaking, shaking, shaking. There might have been no physical scalpels on the Doctor's attack on Ryouta, but the damage was just the same. Sakuya can only hope that Ryouta will snap out of it quickly.

Sakuya continues to speak, "It doesn't make sense. Why kill the only human in my school? Did you know about the Human Representative Doctrine? One mentioned you had connections to the Hawk Party. Is this why?" Sakuya trails off, his eyes darting towards Hiyoko.

"It's part of a bigger story," Iwamine says, smiling. "Your deduction skills aren't bad for a half-breed mongrel, I must say."

Before Sakuya can retort, Ryouta speaks, his eyes unwavering from the Doctor's.

"Then tell us the whole story, _Doctor_."

He looks like he's about the decline, but speaks anyways. "If you must know it started with you."

The Doctor raises his wing towards Ryouta, drawing him closer. Ryouta follows. 

Sakuya wants to yell, tell Ryouta that this is a ridiculous idea following that miserable medicine man anywhere alone, that it's not safe. He wants to walk there and yank Ryouta back, but he can't. His feet are frozen in place. He wonders if it's like this for everybody else, too. 

 

 

v. 

 

"It was a long time ago, I shouldn't be surprised that you and Tosaka-san both forgot."

"She was involved too?" Ryouta blurts out, and Iwamine laughs. 

"She's dead, isn't she?" 

Iwamine clears his throat and continues. "Do you remember that attack on an orphanage years ago. Do you remember a stranger asking you about your wish?"

Ryouta's eyes widened in understanding. "We wished to bring peace between the birds and the humans, even at the costs of our lives... but why? Why were you interested in our wish? Killing Hiyoko didn't resolve anything, you didn't help any of us!"

"It wasn't a willy-nilly thing. I made...I made a promise to grant your wish, and I decided to do it no matter what. And I didn't grant your wish just yet, there is just one more step left." And with that, Ryouta watches at the doctor fishes out a small glass container from his pocket. _A liver_.  

"In this container contains the only preserved organ of the bird who originally carried to Charon virus. Fujishiro Nageki was the only one who was able to carry it, due to his weak immune system. Unfortunately, he refused to carry it. The project was put on indefinite hold, but I've been slowly chipping away at the pieces. Waiting for a new carrier to arrive, and that's you Kawara-kun."

Ryouta looks at him, wide-eyed. "Me? What?" 

Shuu ignores him, and continues speaking. "I was originally planning on doing it early, when you came into my office. I wasn't expecting you to wake up so quickly, and your distressed state wasn't helping. Nor was the quick discovery of Tosaka's death. But we still have almost 2 hours remaining. Plenty of time for the transplant to work. Plenty of time to grant your wish."

 

vi. 

 

Kazuaki snaps. There's no other word to describe it. No other word to describe how he lunges at the Doctor. Trying to grasp the liver's container within his wings. "Give me, Nageki." He snarls, pointing his gun towards Shuu. 

Shuu leans back against the table, avoiding the attack. "I'd almost forgotten that Fujishiro-san's brother was a quail."

 

vii. 

 

 _Kazuaki remembers. He remembers the life in the orphanage, and how it crumbled down. He remembered not ever begrudging the humans, instead he was too busy taking care of Nageki._ Nageki, Nageki, Nageki.

_Nageki who was too sick to leave home._

_Nageki who was invited to this school for treatment._

_Nageki who's letters came shorter and shorter, till Kazuaki finally worked up the nerve to visit him._

_Nageki who was surrounded by smoke and flame, Nageki who told him his dying wish_

_Nageki—_

 

viii. 

"Uzune Hitori. We were told that you died in the fire. I guess we weren't thorough enough. I'm impressed, it's not easy to change your identity." 

"We could say the same about you, Isa Souma." 

"Who?" 

But neither faculty member paid attention to the question from the students— Shuu's eyes were trained on the gun, while Kazauki's eyes remained steadfast on the trigger. 

"You know...We can bring Fujishiro-san back alive with the help of Kawara-kun, here. Nageki will still be here, living within Kawara."

"Nageki is still living within that container, we don't need a body."

"Oh?" The doctor chortled. "But wouldn't you like to be with Nageki again, you'll be able to go out with him, like you have always wanted to do. You would just have to let me do the transplant. 

Kazuaki wavered, and Ryouta backed away. Kazuaki came closer towards him.

"Nageki...Nageki can be alive?"

 

ix.

 

 Sakuya was sure he could be writing a book based on the kind of day he was having. Build a fortune of his own. He doesn't understand what's happening anymore, why Kazuaki-sensei's gun is now trained on Ryouta. 

Honestly, that teacher gets to be more and more of a bird brain every year!

He doesn't understand these names. _Uzune Hitori_. _Isa Souma_. 

He doesn't understand, but he's not going to let this happen. But he wants answers.

"San, we got to do something" he whispers, "We need to get that gun out of Kazuaki-sensei's hands first and foremost. I'm going to distract him, you tackle him and knock the gun from his hands." 

" _Coo_!" (Got it!) San says, and gets in position. Neither of the other birds notice them inching closer, too busy wrapped up in a conversation. 

Sakuya clears his throat. "You guys aren't doing anything until you explain all of this to me. Especially you, Kazuaki-sensei! The Doctor is all sorts of messed up, but you aren't making any sense. I've always known you were a fool, but this is ridiculous. Ryouta is still Ryouta, even with someone else's organ. He will always be him."

 _Crap_. 

The trigger is trained on him now. 

"What kind of person would have wanted you do exact revenge, this is pointless. Nothing good comes from it, it just feeds misery and grief. You aren't the only one who lost someone close to you, lost a brother, because of this man. Do you think Nageki would have wanted you to waste your life with revenge? No. He would have wanted you to live."

"Don't you see? I can't be happy. You never cared about your brother until he died. You denied his existence. You don't know what it means to lose someone you love, only to have them die." Kazuaki-sensei's voice shook with rage, and Sakuya shook too. 

"No, but I do." 

Kazuaki-sensei spun around, and looked at Ryouta. At that moment San came in to tackle him, and Kazuaki hit the trigger in response, and got knocked out from the impact of floor. The gun landed at Ryouta's feet. 

But it was Iwamine, who was bleeding. 

 

x.

 

_Kazuaki, no, Hitori was dreaming, dreaming about Nageki. The mourning dove was looking at him, eyes downcast and pitiful. His wings were wrapped around a book._

_"Nageki, I'm sorry."_

_"You did nothing wrong. It was not your fault."_

_"Of course it was! I sent you there, and they hurt you..." Hitori protested._

_"Do you remember what my wish was on that day, Hitori?"_

_"You wished for no traces of your body to be alive...and..." He trailed off, looking away. "You wanted me to extract revenge."_

_"I never wanted you to extract revenge. Not once, not twice, not ever. Revenge doesn't solve anything. It wouldn't make you happy. " Nageki looked at him, and interlaced their wings together. They were in a field, watching the sunset. The sunset is the color of fire, Hitori thinks numbly. As if knowing what he's thinking, Nageki squeezes his wing tightly._

_"And all I ever wanted was you happy. I wanted you to live. Live for the both us."_

_"How can I be happy without you?" Hitori asks.  "How can you expect me to live without you, I can't do it!"_

_Nageki looks towards the sky, and smiles softly. "We have to move on. We've stayed here for too long, Hitori. But don't worry, we'll meet again one day. Right now, just worry about your students. Look past revenge. Look at life."_

 

xi. 

 

Out of all the outcomes, this wasn't the one he was suspecting. To be accidentally caught in the gunfire, that is.

"It's a shallow wound, I'll live." He says, placing a wing to his abdomen. "But this means, I can't preform the surgery." 

Sakuya snorts. "Trust me, that's a good thing. No one is mourning that fact." 

Ryouta steps up ahead. "I want answers." He states firmly. "I want to know the real reason why you wanted to grant my wish? If it wasn't off whim, what was the reason? What do me and Hiyoko have to do with anything?" His eyes are so clear, kind of like Ryuuji's eyes, Shuu thinks. In someways, he truly is his father's son.

"Did I ever tell you I worked alongside your father here?" He began. "He is—was brilliant, despite being such an idiotic and forgetful man. He was an amazing researcher, with such talents that not even an researcher working twice as long in the field could have achieved. He was the only one worthy of my respect, but still he ended up dying in such a mundane way. Died to some disease in an island from a trip, when he was brought home... no one could barely even recognize him. He...he asked of me to do something for you, a favor if you will. Or a wish." Shuu smiled weakly. 

"You couldn't buy him a toy instead of killing his best friend." Sakuya snorted. 

"He...he was the only person, I ever really cared for. I wanted to... I wanted to do something ever-lasting, not something that could easily be forgotten for his son," Shuu sniffs, before turning back towards Ryouta. "You...you are half his DNA. You are his living legacy."

Ryouta is quiet for a few moments, before speaking. 

"Doctor, just one more thing. Did you love her? Did you love Hiyoko?"

It's a moment before Shuu speaks. Didn't he address his question earlier. "I had to kill her. I had to kill her to grant your wish. But I was fond. She is such a rare specimen, no one quite like her." 

 

xii. 

 

It is After, after with an capital "A" because nothing really surmises the time skip, better than "After." 

After the students came flooding into the basement, and One took the gun from the floor. After Kazuaki-sensei woke up, back to normal. After the humans were gone, and life was back to normal. Or as normal as it could be.

Hiyoko's head remained there, along with Nageki's liver, stored in the freezer "It's better this way," Ryouta said. And Kazuaki-sensei agreed with him, "It'll be good for the two of them to have company. Not to be alone." 

Sometimes Kazuaki-sensei and Ryouta go to the door that leads to the basement, never entering. Just staring at it. Sometimes Sakuya goes down with them. 

"Hey, you okay?" Ryouta asks, breaking Sakuya out of his thoughts. 

"Yeah." 

"Come on then, get up! We have a world to save!" 

" _Coo_!" (And a Pudding God to find!)

 Sakuya hits San on the back of his head, and in the corner of his eyes, he sees Hiyoko laughing. He sees Yuuya laughing too.

He looks back at Ryouta and wonders if he can see them too. They aren't okay. Not really. But they are gonna fix this world, one by one. 

And somewhere beyond, a mourning dove is humming as he reads.  

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> THERE IS SO MUCH TO SAY. 
> 
> \+ I want to give an S/O to the LPArchive for having Hatoful Boyfriend on there, so I can look at other scenes and try to figure out how to piece them together instead of replaying the game. It made my life a lot easier. Especially trying to correlate the two plots to see how they fit together.  
> \+ Not 100% satisfied with the ending, but the idea of Ryouta + Sakuya saving the world and working for a change honestly because none of them know how to deal with this shit and this is the only way to go on. Though, I put it on a lighter note - this fic was supposed to be more angsty but Sakuya kept coming in to ease the tension and I love him for it.  
> +this feels kinda Ryouta/Sakuya-ish, if you ship it and want to see it that way, go for it!  
> \+ I had a lot of other ways I wanted to handle this fic- like Kazuaki and Shuu were gonna have a "you are no better than me scene" and everything  
> \+ Leone JB really does lead the students back into basement, this was something I didn't know the first time around and I thought it was just a weird plot hole  
> +i kept "vertigo in her eyes" bc that was a thing and im lazy about everything and i don't even know how it relates don't ask me  
> +i had the "pledge, the turn, the prestige" thing from the movie the prestige- it has no impact on the plot. i just like the words and i needed dividers. that's actually where the inspo for the "vertigo in her eyes" thing came from.   
> +vertigo in her eyes was originally the title, but i decided to change it when i reposted it. i still kept it in the fic bc im lazy, and i like it.  
> +at some point I realized I really loved Sakuya, he is such a joy to write  
> \+ I don't know what else to say right now. I'm just so emotional, this fic has been a long time coming and it was finished the day I decided to post it as chapters which is such a hassle bc now i got to delete that fic and ugh - i came up with a new title just to avoid confusion tbh also so i won't accidentally delete this one- KNOWING ME I WOULD  
> \+ at least this ending came out of all of that trouble  
> +I don't really know what to add, I'm just a wreck. Thanks for reading!
> 
> EDIT: + I FORGOT TO TALK ABOUT HOW I WANTED TO DRAW SAKUYA + KAZUAKI SIMILARITIES  
> +sorry if this fic is choppy bc i wrote it after a very long time skip, maybe one day i'll come back and do a redux version


End file.
